HOULTON, Maine — Escalating community outrage over the Houlton Town Council’s decision to keep the town manager on the job following his felony arrest pushed several residents to start the process on Monday to recall elected town officials.
Town Manager Cameron Clark was arrested and jailed on Sept. 25 by the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office on two counts, Class B felony victim tampering and Class D domestic violence assault.
Despite Clark’s felony charge and an alleged violent crime, along with public calls to place him on administrative leave, the majority of town councilors chose to keep him on the job. And as the divide between residents and councilors deepens, the residents are taking matters into their own hands.
Two councilors, Jon McLaughlin and Alexis Brown, resigned immediately on Friday, following the council’s decision to retain Clark, citing differing views from the other members of the council and ethical and moral concerns.
On Monday, eight Houlton registered voters — Mark Lipscombe, John White Jr., Kent Good, Randi Bradbury, Gerry Scott, Nancy Chalmers, Rebecca Zyskowski and Joshua Atkinson — comprising the newly formed petitioners committee met outside the town office on Water Street at 1 p.m.
Together they gave written notice to Town Clerk Khylee Wampler that they are moving forward with proceedings to propose an ordinance for the recall of elected officials in Houlton. They also included a copy of the proposed ordinance.
“The challenge right now is there is just no way for the town’s citizens to stop this idiocy,” said Lipscombe, who spearheaded the move.
Under Maine law, a town may enact an ordinance for the recall of elected municipal officials with the exception of school board members, giving the community the means and method by which the voters of Houlton may oust elected officials.
According to the proposed ordinance, registered voters could unseat elected town officials for indictment or conviction of felony crimes. Additionally, elected officials could be forced to step down for failure to appropriately carry out duties and responsibilities of the office; engaging in conduct which brings the office into disrepute; engaging in conduct which displays an unfitness to hold the office; or the indictment or conviction of a felony under the laws of the state of Maine or the laws of the United States, or the laws of any other state or nation, or entry of a plea of guilty or no-contest to such an offense, the proposal dictates.
Petitioners committee member Rebecca Zyskowski said she joined because she is a survivor of domestic violence.
“I really feel insulted by this for all victims,” she said, referring to Clark remaining in the town manager role.
To start the process, a committee must declare itself to the town clerk, which the petitioners committee did today.
Next, the clerk issues petition blanks for the committee to collect signatures from 10 percent, or 346, of residents registered to vote in the last regular town election, in order to put the issue before the Council, according to the town charter.
The committee returns the petitions to the clerk, who will certify the petition.
The proposed ordinance will be put before the Town Council, who must either adopt it without material change or call a public ballot to consider it.
If the council does not approve the ordinance, there is an election, asking registered voters whether the ordinance shall be adopted.
If passed, it then is a binding ordinance, and five or more people can take out a new petition to recall any member of the council, following the procedure contained in the ordinance.
If an official is recalled, the proposed ordinance would ban them from holding office for two years. If the entire council is recalled, the town clerk would have to schedule a special election.
Petitioners committee member John White Jr. is a former Houlton town councilor who served one partial appointed term and two full terms.
“I think that as a past elected town official, I think that all elected officials should be held accountable,” White said on Monday outside the town office. “And certain ones definitely are doing things for themselves rather than the town.”
According to Lipscombe, Wampler should have the petitions prepared in a few days and the committee expects to obtain the required 346 signatures quickly.
Clark continues to run this Aroostook County town of about 6,000 while under daily Department of Corrections supervision, and he is mandated to follow an overnight curfew.
His first hearing on the matter is slated for 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, at Aroostook County Court in Houlton.
